Means for securing clothes to clotheslines



Dec; '10," 1957 A P. D.'ALEXANDER 3 5 mus FOR 'SECURINGiCLOTl-IES T0 ,CLOTHESLINES Filed Juli 26, 1955 a EQRZZ-JYZGZ'QZZJQF 'INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent MEANsFoR SECURINGEGLOHI'IESLTO .CLQILLESLMS Paul D. Alexander," Sacramento, Calif. Application July 26, 1955, Serial N0. 524,338 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-11932) This invention relates to a clothesline support and clothes clip designed for securing articles of clothing or similar fabric articles to the clothesline while drying.

An important object of the invention is to provide clothesline clips, each of which embodies a pair of arms normally held together in gripping relation, the material of which the clips are constructed being such that the clips may be firmly pressed into contact with the clothesline to secure the clips in adjusted positions along the clothesline, with respect to each other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clip for securing clothes to a clothesline embodying spring jaws, means being provided for automatically spreading the arms of said clips as the clips move to one end of the clothesline, to release the articles secured to the line, or open said clips to permit articles to be positioned therein.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevational View illustrating the section of a clothesline equipped with clips constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the clothesline pulley support.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a clothesline pulley support illustrating a clothesline pulley and a section of the clothesline moving thereover.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of said clothesline pulley with a section of the clothesline moving thereover.

Referring to the drawing in detail the reference character 5 indicates a clothesline supporting post to which the clothesline pulley housing 6 is connected, by means of the eye bolt 7 and eye bolt 8 which are connected, the eye bolt 8 passing through an opening in the bar 9 forming a part of the clothesline pulley housing, as better shown by Fig. 3 of the drawing. This connection between the post and clothesline pulley housing permits pivotal movement of the housing with respect to the post, relieving the post and the connecting means of undue strain.

The clothesline pulley housing is in the form of a frame 10 with spaced side bars 11 connected at their upper ends by the bar 12, while the lower ends thereof are connected by the plate 13 which is curved in the arc of a circle and spaced from the pulley 14 which is pivotally mounted between the spaced side bars 11, on the shaft 15.

The reference character 16 indicates a spreader that has a tapered forward end 17 which is so located with respect to the clothesline 18, that the tapered forward end thereof lies in the path of travel of the clips 19 secured to the clothesline 18, to be hereinafter more fully described.

The spreader 16 is secured to the upper end of the threaded bolt 20 that passes through an opening in the plate 13, the bolt 20 being secured in position by means of the nuts 21 which clamp the plate 13, on opposite sides thereof.

2,815,864 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 The forward edges "of the; plate 13 are extended ,at oblique angles with-respect to the sidewalls er the plate to guidethe clips "19-around 'the-pulley 14.

-'The -spaced-side 'bars 11 :also "have outwardly inclined sections j2-1'-;to'provi de aclearance'yat' theforward edges -0f-the sidebars to allow the clips-to-pass ;freely'.therethrough.

"The clips, forming an" important feature of the invention, embody spring --arms 22 and are bent 'around the clothesline 18' at 23 securely fastening the clips to the clothesline, in their proper spaced relation with respect to each other.

The spring arms 22 have outwardly curved sections 23 which permit the clips to pass over the tapered forward end of the spreader 16 as the clips move into the pulley housing 6, opening the spring arms to release the article held thereby, or to open the clips to permit articles to be placed therebetween.

Therear end of the spreader 16 curves upwardly and is pointed at 24 so that when the clothesline is moved in an anti-clockwise direction or to the left, the clips will contact the pointed end 24 of the spreader l6, and since the spreader 16 tapers towards its rear end and is considerably larger at the forward end, it will be seen that when the clips pass from the forward end of the spreader 16, the clips will be opened to receive articles which may be positioned therebetween in loading the clothesline. Of course when the line is moved in the oppoiste direction, and the clips move over the pointed end 17 of the spreader the clips will also be opened to release the articles when the clothing is being removed from the clothesline.

It will of course be understood that an idle pulley will be used at the other end of the clothesline to support the opposite end of the clothesline so that the clothesline may be moved between the pulleys to load and unload the same.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the construction and operation of the clothesline and its pulley will be obvious, and that a further detailed disclosure and description is unnecessary.

While the specific details of one embodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clothesline embodying a pulley support in the form of a housing, a pulley operating within said housing over which a clothesline operates, a curved elongated spreader mounted within said housing directly under the pulley and spaced therefrom, a threaded bolt secured to said spreader, said housing having an opening through which said threaded bolt operates, means for securing the threaded bolt within the opening, spring clips secured to said clothesline in spaced relation with respect to each other, each of said spring clips embodying a pair of spring arms normally closed, and said spring clips adapted to move over said spreader opening said arms to release 'articles held thereby.

2. A clothesline embodying a pulley support in the form of a housing having outwardly inclined portions formed on the front edges thereof, a pulley provided for rotation within the housing, a clothesline movable over said pulley, a pointed spreader curved in the arc of a circle supported within said housing in spaced relation with the periphery of said pulley, the forward end of said spreader extending beyond the forward end of said housing, a plurality of spring clips secured to said clothesline, and said clips adapted to move over the forward end of said spreader spreading the arms of said spreaders to their open positions, releasing articles held thereby,

3. A clothesline embodying a pulley support comprising a housing having open front and rear sides, a pulley operating within said housing over which a clothesline operates, a spreader curved in the arc of a circle adjustable in spaced relation with the pulley and wall of said housing and conforming with the curvature of the pulley, said spreader being substantially long and tapered to a wide pointed forward end, said pointed end of the spreader extending beyond the front of said housing in spaced relation with respect to the line operating over the pulley, a plurality of spaced spring article clips embodying curved spring arms clamped to said clothesline adapted to move References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 767,652 Motherwell Aug. 16, 1904' 1,861,282 Nelson May 31, 1932 2,274,793 Keating Mar. 3, 1942 

